


A Small Misunderstanding

by CrownShyness



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Childhood Friends, Fluff, Jealousy, M/M, Misunderstandings, Pining, Pre-Relationship, Pre-Time Skip, awkward boys
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-13
Updated: 2019-09-13
Packaged: 2020-10-17 11:36:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,123
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20620400
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrownShyness/pseuds/CrownShyness
Summary: Linhardt thought he knew Caspar better than anyone. But when he sees Caspar leaving Dorothea's room, he wonders if Caspar really is the person he thought he was.





	A Small Misunderstanding

**Author's Note:**

> This is a short fic I wrote at the request of a friend. Feedback would be appreciated. I hope you enjoy!

Since the start of his time at the Garreg Mach Officer’s Academy, Linhardt had assumed the position of “Caspar’s Babysitter.” Not that he minded all that much. They’d known each other for ten years at this point, and Caspar was, ironically, the least exhausting person in the class to talk to. Still, watching out for the reckless boy did take effort that he didn’t always want to expend. He got into his more than his fair share of fights, and was a slow learner in the classroom. But Caspar watched out for Linhardt, too, so he figured it was a fair arrangement. Besides, he genuinely enjoyed the company of his best friend, and liked that they trusted each other more than anyone else. And his oblivious nature could be quite endearing (although he’d never admit it.) The boy was dense and didn’t always think before he acted, but he wouldn’t have it any other way. Because to Caspar, he was special, and Caspar was special to him. And he wanted it to stay that way.

“Linhardt, we have to get to class! You’ve already skipped one lecture this week!” Caspar said, shaking his friend awake from his nap in the gardens.

The tired boy groaned. “Tell the Professor that I’m ill today,” 

“What! No! I’m not going to lie, especially not to the Professor!”

That stubborn sense of justice again. Linhardt didn’t understand it, but something about Caspar’s genuine righteousness made him feel warm inside.

“Help me up,” he yawned, and Caspar extended his arm. There was a tingling in his stomach at the touch, and he wondered when being around his best friend of ten years started giving him butterflies. How bothersome…

As they walked to the Black Eagle classroom, Caspar talked animatedly about how his training session went and how he had helped return something that was pickpocketed from an elderly woman at the marketplace. Linhardt was only partially paying attention, mainly just enjoying Caspar’s voice. How did he have the energy to go out of his way for strangers like that? The boy was an anomaly. Perhaps that was why he was so drawn to him.

At one point in the conversation, Linhardt absentmindedly interlocked his fingers in between Caspar’s. He looked over and saw the short boy blushing to his ears and grinned, squeezing his hand tighter. How long had it been since they’d held hands? Many years, he supposed. Why did they ever stop?

That afternoon, Linhardt was walking over to the library after his midday nap. He passed by the dorms to pick up a book he needed to return, and that’s when he saw Caspar walking out of Dorothea’s room. He felt a sort of yanking feeling in his chest, and quickly made it to his own room before Caspar could see him. What was he doing in a girl’s room? Caspar wasn’t the romantic type (thank the Goddess, he was so dense.) Still, wouldn’t he have told him if he was seeing someone? And a girl like Dorothea, at that. She flirted with nearly every boy, but Caspar wasn’t one of them. Were they in a secret relationship? He would have thought Caspar was too honest and open to hide something so important. But why did he care so much? He was his own person. Caspar may have been close, but still, they were just friends, not…

“How in the name of the Goddess did I end up falling for that idiot,” Linhardt thought as he slumped to the floor. He was much too tired to think about something so bothersome.

Linhardt got to class a little earlier than usual the next morning. Of course he walked in to Caspar deep in conversation with Dorothea. He was just as animated as when he always talked to him.

“Oh, hey Linny! Come sit right here!” Caspar said when he saw him walk in.  
“Hmph,” Linhardt groaned as he took a seat at the other side of the room and promptly put his head down on the desk. 

“That was weird,” Caspar shrugged at Dorothea. “Maybe he didn’t sleep last night.”

“Do you want me to talk to him after class?” Dorothea offered. “It’s the least I can do after making you clean my room yesterday.”

“No, I can handle it. He can get grumpy like that sometimes.” Caspar declined. But he couldn't for the life of him understand why his best friend just ignored him like that. Linhardt was dismissive towards most people, but never towards him. His strange behavior was all that he could think about during the lecture.

"Hey Lin, wanna grab lunch together?" Caspar said, lightly grabbing Linhardt's sleeve as he walked out the door to the classroom.

"Oh, don't mind me. I'm sure there's someone that you'd much rather eat lunch with today," Linhardt said, a sarcastic bite to his tone. He walked off, but Caspar followed him.

"Oh, come on man! What's gotten into you? And what do you mean there's someone I'd rather eat lunch with?"

"Don't play dumb, Cas. Why didn't you tell me you were seeing Dorothea?"

"Wh--- what the heck? Seeing Dorothea? Where'd you get an idea like that?!"

"I know what I saw. You were walking out of her dorm room yesterday."

"That's what you're all bent up about?" Caspar gaped, incredulous. "She asked me to help her clean her room! It's not like I could refuse!"

Suddenly, Linhardt forgot about the anger and jealousy he had felt just moments before. Instead, he burst into laughter.

"What's so funny?" Caspar was beyond confused.

"Oh, Cas, I don't know what I was thinking. Of course the only reason you'd be in a girl's room is because you can't refuse the chance to help."

"Hey, I'm not that hopeless!" 

Linhardt just chuckled in reply, his lips bent into a smug smile.

"So, like, we're cool now? I'd tell you if I was seeing a girl, you know." said Caspar.

By this time, they had arrived at the tree that Linhardt usually napped under. He plopped down and leaned against its trunk, patting the ground next to him. Caspar sat down beside his friend.

"Of course. My apologies for earlier," Linhardt drawled as he stretched out his long limbs.

"You know, I'm not even… well… interested in any girls right now." Caspar stuttered a little, a faint blush dusting his cheeks. "And I'm sure as hell not leaving your side for anyone."

Linhardt smiled, resting his palm on top of his friend's hand. The sight of Caspar's blush deepening emboldened him, and he leaned over to press a light kiss on his friend's cheek. 

"I know," he grinned as he pulled away.

Caspar didn't get any sleep that night.


End file.
